There are many different types of mailers and
each type of mailer is available in a variety styles. Different types of mailers
are used for different purposes, are manufactured by different types of printing
processes and are processed in different ways. Shown below are some of the basic
types of mailers available, each having many variations possible.

Promotional mailers are used for advertising and promotional
purposes. They generally have more of a creative design to attract the customer's
attention to the product or services being advertised. The purpose of the mailer
may be to advertise special offers or discounts on products or services, inform
customers about new products and services, distribute company information or
advertise industry conferences and training seminars. The type of mailer used
can vary from a single postcard to a folded multiple page mailer.

Single Postcard - A single postcard style
mailer does not have any folds and will generally be printed on both
sides. One side is used for the mailing address and other postal information.
The reverse side can be used for product promotions, discount offers
or any type of information that a company may want to distribute about
its products and services.

Single Fold Mailer

A single fold mailer provides four pages to print information about
a company's products and services. It consists of two panels which
can be printed on both sides each. One of the outside panels is used
for the mailing address and other postal information. The open edge
is generally sealed with a tab seal, line gluing, spot gluing or tacky
glue spots. See Mailer
- Construction - Closure Types. Perforations can be added
to allow a portion of the mailer to be detached and used as a reply
mail card, a coupon or a discount card.

Multiple Fold Mailer

The multiple fold mailer is basically the same as the single fold
mailer except that it provides additional pages to the mailer. For
each additional page that the additional folds provide, the mailer
has two additional panels. When the mailer is its finished folded
size, one of the outside panels consists of the mailing information.
The finished open edge is generally sealed by the same methods as
the single folded mailer, tab seal, line gluing, spot gluing or tacky
glue spots. There are many different types of folds that can be used
for your mailer. See Finishing
- Foldingfor more details on the different types of folds
that are available.

Self mailers are generally used for business applications
such as statements, checks, order forms, billing notices, credit memos, past
due notices, proxy notices, licensing, correspondence and many others. The mailer
may be a one way mailer that contains information sent to the recipient without
a response request or it may be a business reply piece only, such as a credit
application or an order form from a catalog. The mailer could also be a two
way mailer that sends information to the recipient and also contains a response
mail piece requesting a response from the recipient. Self mailers save time
and handling costs by eliminating the need for a mailing envelope, which improves
the efficiency of the mailing process. The self mailer can contain a reply envelope
which promotes a quicker response time from the customer.

The self mailer generally consists of a one part form that has
a V-fold, C-fold or a Z-fold. It can contain inserts if the processing equipment
has the capability of inserting. The mailer can contain a reply envelope that
is constructed from the mailer itself or it can be constructed by adding a patch
to the mailer to form the envelope. The self mailer can also have windows die
cut out of them to allow an address to show through when folded. The different
types of sealing processes that are available are remoistenable glue, pressure
seal, pressure sensitive tape, line gluing and spot gluing. The level of security
that is required for the mailing piece will be a factor in what type of sealing
process should be used. For more details on the construction of self mailers,
see Mailers -
Construction. The self mailer can be basically one of two types, continuous
or cut sheet. See descriptions below.

Continuous Self Mailers

Continuous self mailers are manufactured as a continuous
form and must follow the same guidelines. See Continuous
Formsfor more details. The pinfeed holes are trimmed during
the finishing process, before the mailer is burst, folded and sealed.
Shown below are two different types of continuous self mailers.

Note: The two way
and one way mailer shown above both show a C-fold. Continuous
self mailers can also be V-folded and Z-folded. The perf locations
and the style of fold used will depend on where the copy needs
to be located when the final fold is made. Also, a patch can
be added to form a reply envelope rather than the envelope
being part of the mailer itself.

Cut Sheet Self Mailers

Cut sheet mailers are manufactured as a single sheet
or laser sheet product. They must follow the same guidelines as the
corresponding products must follow. See Single
Sheets and Laser
Sheetsfor more details. Shown below are some samples of cut
sheet self mailers.

Continuous multiple part mailers are generally used for the
same type of applications as the self mailers. They consist of two or more parts
and use cross web gluing to seal edges to form the mailing piece. They eliminate
the need for an envelope to mail the document in, as does the self mailer, but
continuous multiple part mailers are generally more expensive to manufacture
than self mailers. Even though they are more expensive, the overall cost may
be less if you have to invest in the processing equipment necessary to fold
and seal some of the self mailers. The volume of usage you have for your mailers
will determine which type will be most cost efficient for you. The continuous
multiple part mailer will have to follow the same guides as all continuous forms.
See Continuous Formsfor more details. There are two basic types of continuous multiple part
mailers, the peel apart mailer and the insert mailer. Different variations of
each mailer are available. Some of the basic variations are shown below.

Two Part Peel Apart Mailer

Two part peel apart mailer is a two part
continuous form that is glued at the left and right edges and cross
web glued at the top and bottom so that all edges are sealed. Information
is imprinted on the face of the first part and is imaged through to
the bottom part. Copy that is confidential can have a blockout printed
in that area to hide the information. The two part peel apart mailer
is generally used as a one way mailer that does not require a response
from the recipient and a fly sheet is not needed for a file copy. A
3rd part could be added as a fly sheet if a file copy was required or
to image the mailer without the use of a blockout on the face of the
outgoing mailer envelope.

Insert Mailer with Fly Sheet

An insert mailer is a mailer that has at least one part
inserted and sealed between the front and back of the outgoing envelope.
A reply envelope can also be inserted to be used by the recipient to
send back a remittance. A fly sheet is usually used when the sender
needs to retain a copy of the information being sent in the mailer.
At times it only serves as a means to imprint the inside information
while only imprinting the outside of the mailer with the delivery address
and return address. See Mailers
- Constructionfor more details. The fly sheet is the first
part of the mailer and retained by the sender or discarded. The balance
of the mailer is sent to the recipient. The balance of the mailer can
consist of two or more parts and have several different construction
features.

Insert Mailer with Reusable Envelope

A mailer with a reusable envelope uses the same envelope
for the reply envelope as was used to send the mailer to the recipient.
The mailer's content is removed by the recipient and then the envelope
is reused to send back a remittance.

Insert Peel Apart Mailer

A peel apart mailer is constructed so that the stubs
are removed in a specific sequence to reveal the contents of the mailer.
You may also be instructed to peel back one or several parts to expose
its contents. Peel apart mailers can also have a fly sheet as the first
part of the mailer. See other opening styles in Mailers
- Construction.

Eliminates the time and labor cost of separately folding inserts,
and stuffing and addressing envelopes.

Reduces material cost by not having a separate insert form, outgoing
envelope and reply envelope.

Increased efficiency generates faster turnaround time of documents.

Less storage space is needed to store the mailers than needed
for separate cartons of forms, outgoing envelopes and reply envelopes.

Self Mailers can reduce the cost of postage because they are usually
only one part forms, keeping the weight and thickness to a minimum.

Once the mailer is imprinted and processing is completed, it is
ready to mail. It does not need to be sent anywhere to be stuffed
and sealed in an envelope.

Mailer Disadvantages:

Multiple part continuous mailers can cause problems when running
through the printer due to the number of parts and the gluing.

Mailers with carbon and carbonizing ink are susceptible to smudging
and tracking when running through the mail processing equipment.

The cost of a self mailer is generally less expensive than other
mailers but the folder/sealers used for self mailers can be costly.
You need to have a medium to high usage of self mailers to justify
the cost of most folder/sealer equipment. Equipment manufacturers
have started to manufacture lower end models to make the usage of
self mailers more affordable.